The Boxkite (officially the Bristol Biplane) was the first aircraft produced by the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company (later known as the

Bristol Aeroplane Company The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aircraft engines. Notable a ...

). A pusher

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

based on the successful

Farman III The Farman III, also known as the Henry Farman 1909 biplane, was an early French aircraft designed and built by Henry FarmanBrooklands many early British aviators learned to fly in a Boxkite. Four were purchased in 1911 by the War Office and examples were sold to Russia and Australia. It continued to be used for training purposes until after the outbreak of the First World War.

Background

The original intention of Sir George White, the founder and chairman of Bristol Aircraft, was to build licensed copies of the Zodiac biplane, designed by Gabriel Voisin.Barnes 1988, p. 45 One example of this design was imported from France and exhibited by Bristol at the 1910 Aero show in London in March 1910, and afterwards taken to Brooklands for flight testing. Initial attempts to get it to fly were entirely unsuccessful. This was largely due to its unsatisfactory wing section (the shallow camber of the Zodiac's wings had been commented upon by the aviation journal '' Flight''), but the aircraft was also underpowered for its weight, and a new set of wings did little to improve performance. A single brief flight on 28 May was achieved by

Maurice Edmond Maurice may refer to: People * Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr * Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and ...

, but after an accident that damaged its undercarriage on 10 June it was abandoned, as was work on five more examples being built at Bristol's factory at Filton.Barnes 1988, p .46 Sir George was advised to acquire rights to build copies of the successful Farman biplane. This proved impossible since George Holt Thomas was negotiating rights with the Farman company, but George Challenger, the chief engineer at Filton, believed that he could produce a satisfactory copy since full details of the Farman machine had been published in ''Flight''. This was authorized by Sir George, and Challenger set to work on drawings for a new aircraft. The first example was constructed in a matter of weeks, using some components from the abandoned production Zodiacs, and was delivered to the company's flying school at Larkhill on

Salisbury Plain Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in the south western part of central southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies wi ...

, where it was first flown on 30 July 1910, piloted by Maurice Edmond.Barnes 1988, p. 48 Farman sued Bristol for

patent infringement Patent infringement is the commission of a prohibited act with respect to a patented invention without permission from the patent holder. Permission may typically be granted in the form of a license. The definition of patent infringement may v ...

, but the company's lawyers claimed substantial design improvements in matters of constructional detail, and the lawsuit was dropped.Barnes 1988, p. 47

Design and development

The Boxkite was a two-bay biplane with an elevator carried on booms in front of the wings and an empennage consisting of a pair of fixed horizontal stabilisers, the upper bearing an elevator, and a pair of rudders carried on booms behind the wing. There were no fixed vertical surfaces. Lateral control was effected by ailerons on both upper and lower wings. These were single-acting, the control cables arranged to pull them down only, relying on the airflow to return them to the neutral position. The wings and fixed rear horizontal surfaces were covered by a single layer of fabric: the other surfaces were covered on both sides. Power was usually provided by a Gnome rotary engine, although other engines were also used. This was mounted on a pair of substantial wooden beams mounted above the lower wing: these continued forward to carry the seats, which were arranged in tandem, with the pilot sitting over the leading edge of the wing. The undercarriage consisted of a pair of long skids, each bearing a pair of wheels sprung by bungee cords, and a single sprung tailskid mounted below the leading edge of the lower tailplane. The first two Boxkites, assigned works numbers 7 and 8, differed in detail from the later production aircraft; the front outrigger booms were braced by a pair of vertical struts and were attached to the ends of the interplane struts. This arrangement was inherited from the Zodiac,Penrose 1967, p. 236 being necessary in that aircraft because the front spar of the wing did not also form the leading edge. Additionally the rear elevator had a straight trailing edge. No. 8 also had double-surfaced wings; the wings of No. 7 were single-surfaced with the ribs enclosed in pockets, like production aircraft. No. 7 was initially fitted with a 50 hp (37 kW) Grégoire, but for its first flight this was replaced by a Gnome, although the Grégoire was later refitted for trial purposes: No. 8 had a 50 hp (37 kW)

E.N.V. E.N.V. was an early manufacturer of aircraft engines, originally called the London and Parisian Motor Company their first model appearing in 1908. E.N.V. engines were used by several pioneer aircraft builders and were produced in both France ...

Barnes 1988, p. 48 The first examples built had upper and lower wings of equal span, although most of the aircraft eventually produced had an extended upper wing and were known as the Military Version. The examples of this type sold to the Russian government and the first aircraft sold to the British Army were fitted with a third rudder hinged to the centre leading-edge interplane strut of the tailplane, but this was not made standard.Barnes 1988,p. 51 Two modified Boxkites were produced for competition purposes. The first, No. 44, was a single-seater built to compete in the

1911 Circuit of Europe air race The Circuit of Europe (''Circuit d'Europe'') was an air race held in 1911. A prize of £8,000 was offered by ''Le Journal (Paris), Le Journal'' for the entire Circuit, with additional prizes for the individual stages. The stages of the race totalled ...

and had reduced wingspan and a nacelle for the pilot, similar to the

Bristol Type T The Bristol Biplane Type 'T', sometimes called the Challenger-Dickson Biplane, was a derivative of the Bristol Boxkite. It was built in 1911 by the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company and was designed as a cross-country racing aircraft for ...

. The second, No.69, was a redesign by Gabriel Voisin, who was employed as a consultant by Bristol. This had no front elevator, monoplane tail with a single rudder, and a reduced gap between the wings. It was tested at Larkhill in February 1912, but was evidently unsuccessful since it was soon rebuilt as a standard Boxkite and was to crash in November 1912. Production continued until 1914 with a total of 78 being built, 60 of which were the extended Military Version, one racer (No. 44) and the voisin variant (No. 69); all but the last six aircraft were built at Filton. The remaining six were built at Brislington by the Tramway Company.Barnes 1988, pp. 51-53

Operating history

After the successful flight on Salisbury Plain No. 7 and a second aircraft, No. 8, were sent to Lanark to take part in the aviation meeting held there in August. These aircraft were then assigned to the Bristol flight schools, No. 7 at Brooklands and No. 8 at Larkhill. In September a third aircraft was completed and delivered to Larkhill, and both the Larkill machines participated in the Army manoeuvres held on Salisbury Plain that month. No. 8 was flown by

Bertram Dickson Captain Bertram Dickson RHA (21 December 1873 – 28 September 1913) was a pioneer Scottish airman and the first British serviceman to qualify as a pilot. His exploits in the air, watched by Winston Churchill and Lord Kitchener, indirec ...

, and was captured by Blue team cavalry when it landed in order to report by telephone,Penrose 1967, p. 240 and No. 9 by Robert Loraine. This aircraft was equipped with a radio transmitter for trials and was the first aeroplane in the United Kingdom to send a message by radio. Between 11 and 16 November a series of demonstration flights were made in Bristol. Temporary hangars were built on Durdham Down and although flying was limited by the weather conditions a crowd of almost 10,000 saw

Maurice Tetard Maurice may refer to: People *Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr *Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and Lo ...

make a fifteen-minute flight on the Saturday. The most spectacular flights were made the following Tuesday, when around ten flights were made between 7 and 9 o'clock, including a fifteen-minute flight by Tetard during which he flew over Clifton Suspension Bridge and made a circuit over the suburbs of Redland and Westbury. Weather conditions then deteriorated and only a single flight was made in the afternoon, when Tetard made a single circuit, cutting his flight short owing to the turbulent winds caused by the proximity of the Avon Gorge. On the final day the crowds gathered early but wind conditions prevented any flying. At about half-past three it was announced that there would be no more flying, despite which Tetard then made a short straight-line flight reaching no more than 20 ft in altitude, earning a "cheery ovation" from the crowd by then numbering around 12,000. Boxkite-Durdham Down

On 14 March 1911, the British War Office ordered four Boxkites for the planned Air Battalion Royal Engineers, the first production contract for military aircraft for Britain's armed forces. The first Boxkite, powered by a 50 hp Gnome engine, was delivered to Larkhill on 18 May that year. An order for a further four Boxkites was placed later that year, with the type mainly being used as a trainer.Bruce 1982, pp. 148–149. They continued in use with the Air Battalion and

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

(RFC) until December 1912.Bruce 1982, p. 150. Four more Boxkites were purchased by the RFC from the Bristol flying school at Brooklands following the outbreak of the First World War, with the last of these four Boxkites written off in February 1915.Bruce 1982, pp. 150–151. The

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...

(RNAS) also made use of the Boxkite as a trainer, being used at its training schools at Eastbourne, Eastchurch and Hendon Aerodrome until at least 1915.Bruce 1957, pp. 108–109.Thetford 1978, p. 380. The majority of the aircraft produced were employed at the Bristol flying schools at Brooklands and Larkhill. These schools were responsible for training nearly half the pilots who gained licences in Britain before the First World War, and many distinguished pilots gained their licence in a Boxkite, including Brigadier-General Henderson, the first commander of the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

, who gained his licence after less than a week of instruction.

Australia

At the end of November two Boxkites were shipped to Australia for a promotional tour, and in Australia No. 10 was flown first by Joseph Hammond, who made the first aeroplane flight in West Australia from

Belmont Park Racecourse Belmont Park Racecourse is one of the two major horse racing venues within the Perth, Western Australia metropolitan area, the other being Ascot Racecourse, and is located just outside of the central business district on the Burswood Peninsul ...

on 3 January 1911. On 20 February 1911 Hammond flew the first cross-country flight made between towns in Australia from

Altona Bay Port Phillip (Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, narrow channel known as The Rip, and is completel ...

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...

in Victoria, and on 23 February, also at Altona Bay, he made the first passenger flight in Australia, taking his mechanic Frank Coles for a 7½ minute flight. Later that same day he took his wife for a 12½ minute flight, making her the first woman to fly in Australia. Official observers from the Australian Army observed these demonstrations and were also taken for flights. Although reports were favorable no aircraft were ordered. After the flights in Melbourne Hammond returned to his home in New Zealand and the demonstrations in Sydney were made by his assistant, Leslie Macdonald, who took a photographer from the ''

Daily Telegraph Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...

'' for a 25-minute flight over Sydney on 6 May, making the first aerial photographs to be taken in Australia. By 19 May, 72 flights totalling 765 miles had been made by No. 10; No. 11, still in its crate, was sold to W. E. Hart of Penrith, N.S.W, who used the aircraft to become the first Australian to gain a pilot's licence in Australia. The Boxkite would go on to be ordered by Central Flying School, the first military aviation unit in Australia, and aircraft number 133 would perform the first flight by the CFS, and first official Australian military flight, on 1 March 1914 by Lieutenant Eric Harrison. It would continue to serve until written off in 1917. The second Boxkite to enter CFS service was actually built by the school after Bristol ceased making the aircraft available for order, and thus the Boxkite became the first military aircraft assembled in Australia. In all, four Boxkites would serve the CFS, training pilots through World War I.

India

A further two were sent to India, including No. 12, the first Boxkite built with an extended upper wing. In India the first flights were made by Henri Jullerot in Calcutta on 6 January 1911 before a crowd of 100,000. He was invited to take part in the Deccan cavalry manoeuvres that were about to take place, and made a number of flights carrying Captain

Sefton Brancker Air Vice Marshal Sir William Sefton Brancker, (22 March 1877 – 5 October 1930) was a British pioneer in civil and military aviation and senior officer of the Royal Flying Corps and later Royal Air Force. He was killed in an airship crash in 1 ...

as his observer. He also took part in the Northern cavalry manoeuvres at Karghpur. Flying conditions there were demanding, with many rough landings caused by the terrain, and eventually No. 9 was cannibalised to provide spares to keep No. 12 flying.Barnes 1988, p. 49

Other exports

Nos 27 and 28 were sold to the Belgian Joseph Christiaens, who used them to make the first aeroplane flight in Singapore on 16 March 1911. He then took the aircraft to South Africa where a series of exhibition flights were made in Pretoria, and Christiaens sold No.28 to

John Weston John Weston may refer to: Politicians *John Weston (MP for New Shoreham) (fl.1446-7) *John de Weston, MP for Derby (UK Parliament constituency) * John Weston (MP fl.1339), MP for Derby (UK Parliament constituency) * John Weston (died c. 1433), MP f ...

, who also became the Bristol company's representative in South Africa. Other examples were exported to Germany (2), Spain (2) and single machines to Romania, India, Bulgaria and Sweden.Barnes 1988, p. 52

Flyable reproductions

No original Bristol Boxkites aeroplanes have survived, but three authentic flyable reproductions were built by the F. G. Miles group for the film '' Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines''.Wheeler 1965, pp. 44–69. These were initially powered by a Rolls-Royce Continental A65 air-cooled flat four, but this produced insufficient power, since the higher RPM of the mid-20th century engine driving a small-diameter modern propeller was inefficient at the low airspeed achieved by the Boxkite.Wheeler 1965, p. 48. The 65 hp flat-four was therefore replaced by a

Continental O-200-B The Continental C90 and O-200 are a family of air-cooled, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, direct-drive aircraft engines of 201 in³ (3.29 L) displacement, producing between 90 and 100 horsepower (67 and 75 kW).''Federal Aviation Admini ...

engine. With the increased power these proved flyable enough to be used for cross-country flights between filming locations. Another tribute to the soundness of the design is that the calculations made for the purpose of granting the necessary Certificates of Airworthiness found that the stressing of the design was very close to modern requirements. After filming one was sent to the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. Another went to the Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire (where it is still flown during flying displays, when the weather permits), and the third to the Museum of Australian Army Flying in Queensland. A Bristol Boxkite replica was constructed for the Australian

Centenary of Military Aviation Air Show 2014 {{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation) A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years. Notable events Notable centennial events at a ...

. It made its first test flight on 11 September 2013 at RAAF Base Williams, Point Cook. The replica was built at the RAAF Museum over a seven-year period and will be displayed at the museum.

Specifications (Extended )

Military operators

; * Central Flying School, Australian Flying Corps at Point Cook, Victoria,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

operated four Boxkites from 1914 to 1918. The original was built by British & Colonial Aeroplane Company in 1913. A second order in 1914 from Bristol was not fulfilled, and instead, the CFS built a second aircraft from parts in 1915. Two Boxkite XV were ordered in 1916 and built by Grahame-White Aviation Company. ; *

Bulgarian Air Force The Bulgarian Air Force ( bg, Военновъздушни сили, Voennovazdushni sili) is one of the three branches of the Military of Bulgaria, the other two being the Bulgarian Navy and Bulgarian land forces. Its mission is to guard and p ...

; * Royal Romanian Air Force ; * Imperial Russian Air Service ; * Union Defence Forces – South African Air Force ; Kingdom of Spain *

Spanish Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 December , equipment ...

; *

Swedish Air Force The Swedish Air Force ( sv, Svenska flygvapnet or just ) is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. History The Swedish Air Force was created on 1 July, 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the es ...

; *

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

Bruce 1982, p. 151. ** No. 1 Squadron RFC **

No. 3 Squadron RFC Number 3 Squadron, also known as No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron, of the Royal Air Force operates the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, since reforming on 1 April 2006. It was first formed on 13 May 1912 as one of the first squ ...

** Central Flying School *

Eastchurch Naval Flying School Royal Air Force Eastchurch or more simply RAF Eastchurch (formerly RNAS Eastchurch) is a former Royal Air Force station near Eastchurch village, on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England. The history of aviation at Eastchurch stretches back to the fi ...

References

Notes Bibliography * * * * * * *

External links

short video showing a Boxkite replica in flight

Flying replica of the Military Bristol Biplane built for the RAAF Museum, Point Cook
{{Bristol aircraft, Boxkite Biplanes Single-engined pusher aircraft 1910s British civil aircraft Boxkite Aircraft first flown in 1910

Background

Design and development

Operating history

Australia

India

Other exports

Flyable reproductions

Specifications (Extended )

Military operators

See also

References

Further reading

External links